NexusFootprints – Combining Indicators for Urban Food-Water-Energy Nexus Comparison

Outline

The NexusFootprints project aims to estimate urban food-water-energy (FWE) footprint indicators (food consumed, water used, GHG emissions) in order to quantify and visualize urban nexus patterns and facilitate their objective comparison. Based on earth observation satellite high-resolution imagery, population and urban land-use will be mapped using artificial intelligence. Characteristic urban FWE nexus patterns will be identified for three cities from different world regions that represent archetypes of urban regions experiencing distinct FWE challenges – Amman (Jordan), Pune (India) and Vienna (Austria). The scope, practicality and validity of the concept will be tested using these case studies. The project will evaluate how the nexus-footprint approach can best be readily transferred to other cities and used as a blueprint for including additional case studies from other SUGI-NEXUS projects.

Partners

• BOKU: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Institute for Social Ecology, Vienna, Austria.
  PI: Dr. Barbara Smetschka

• DLR: German Aerospace Center, Wessling, Germany.
  PI: Prof. Dr. Xiaoxiang Zhu

• GIPE: Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune, India.
  PI: Prof. Kakali Mukhopadhyay

• MIRRA: Methods for Irrigation and Agriculture, Amman, Jordan.
  PI: Prof. Samer Talozi